Openreach Community Fund – closing 14 May

The Openreach Community Fund was established with capital from BT, management and unions.  It exists to support small, locally based grassroots community projects.

Who can apply

Constituted grass roots community and voluntary groups.

Criteria

Priority will be given to applications from small groups, typically with an annual income of less than £200,000, as evidenced in most recent set of accounts.

Projects must aim to directly support one of the following specific groups:

• Young people
• Older people
• People with disabilities

The Fund will not support projects targeting all ages.

Priority will be given to projects that will benefit groups dealing with disadvantage (e.g. rural isolation, low income, social exclusion, reduced access to services), and projects that involve the beneficiaries in their development and delivery.

In the event of oversubscription, priority will be given to lower income organisations

Examples of types of projects that may be supported

The following examples illustrate the types of projects that the Openreach Community Fund has supported. This list is not exhaustive.

• Creative arts and wellbeing programmes for young people, including workshops in music, drama, pottery or other arts activities.
• Programmes supporting the mental health, confidence and resilience of children and young people through group learning or personal development activities.
• Social activities and community clubs for older people aimed at reducing loneliness and isolation.
• Inclusive activities and programmes for people with disabilities that support participation, creativity and social interaction.
• Educational or skills-based activities for young people, including STEM learning opportunities and workshops.
• Creative or recreational programmes for children in rural or disadvantaged communities that provide opportunities for social interaction and personal development.
• Nature-based wellbeing or gardening projects that bring people together and promote community engagement.
• Small community initiatives that improve access to activities or facilities for older people or people with disabilities.

To apply

For more details and how to apply, see the Community Foundation Northern Ireland website below.

Openreach Community Fund